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Coronavirus precautions are being taken as the Turkish city of Istanbul prepares to hold Muslim Friday prayers at the Hagia Sophia building for the first time since the celebrated museum was controversially turned back into a mosque.

Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya urged those attending to bring "[face] masks, a prayer rug, patience and understanding".

Turkey's religious affairs minister, Ali Erbas, said that about 1,000 people would be able to attend prayers at the site at any one time.

He said that "modifications" had been made inside and that a "garden setup" had been prepared, adding that the site would remain open overnight.

Read more

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The overall number of coronavirus infections in Russia has gone past 800,000, the country's coronavirus crisis response centre says.

It now stands at 800,849 with 13,046 deaths.

Of those infected, 588,774 have recovered.

Police in Australia’s Victoria state are investigating after video footage showed a woman being allowed to pass through a covid checkpoint by refusing to answer questions.

The state is currently under restrictions following a spike in cases.

In the footage posted to Facebook, the woman stops at what appears to be a police checkpoint.

An officer asks the woman her reason for travelling and she tells the officer that she does not want to answer the question.

After several more questions, which she refuses to answer, she is given the all-clear to pass through.

The video has caused outrage on social media with many people criticising the woman for breaking the rules.

Victoria Police said the woman has been identified and an investigation is under way into whether there was a breach in the chief health officer’s directions .

Victoria police branded “this type of behaviour” as “unnecessary and selfish”.

Iain Watson
Political correspondent

Boris Johnson has long been critical of the "nanny state".

But the apparent link between obesity and more serious cases of Covid-19, along with his own experience in intensive care, appears to have convinced the prime minister that the government should take a more active role in promoting public health.

He has described the coronavirus crisis as "a devastating blow" so it seems that the obesity strategy will be part of a battle plan to prevent it striking so hard again.

Image source, PA Media

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce new measures to curb obesity next week, and they are expected to include a ban on TV junk food adverts before 9pm.

The measures are yet to be finalised but are also likely to include a ban on online ads for unhealthy foods and limits on in-store promotions.

Some restaurants could be required to put calorie labels on menus.

It comes amid growing evidence people who are overweight or obese are at greater risk from coronavirus.

The move marks a change in stance by Johnson, who has previously criticised levies on foods high in salt, fat and sugar - and described his views on tackling obesity as "libertarian".

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UK health minister Helen Whately says she anticipates “the vast majority of people” will follow the rules and wear face coverings after they became compulsory in enclosed public spaces in England from today.

Police can hand out fines of up to £100 ($127) to those who do not comply but Whately doesn’t expect the police will need to get involved.

She told the BBC: "I'm not expecting the police to be called whenever somebody is not wearing a face mask. Clearly that would be inappropriate."

She added: "We know that people actually will act responsibly and will wear face masks."

There are exemptions to the new rules for children under 11, those with disabilities or certain health conditions, such as respiratory or cognitive impairments that make it difficult for them to wear a face covering.

Whately said the government didn't expect people who were exempt to have to carry proof of that, adding: “We are expecting people to be reasonable about this and we don’t want to see members of the public accosted for not wearing a face mask."

Maddy Savage
BBC News, Stockholm

Image source, Reuters

Brightly coloured beach towels line the shores of Lake Storsjon, two hours north of Stockholm.

Staycations are popular here this summer, thanks to a slew of travel restrictions imposed on Sweden by other countries, due to its coronavirus infection rate.

More than 5,500 people have died with Covid-19 in this country of just 10 million. It is one of the highest death rates relative to population size in Europe, and by far the worst among the Nordic nations. Unlike Sweden, the rest all chose to lock down early in the pandemic.

"Maybe we should have taken some more care of each other," says Dan Eklund, 31, visiting the lake on his friend's boat.

Latest figures suggest Sweden is getting better at containing the virus. The number of daily reported deaths has been in single digits for much of July, in contrast with the peak of the pandemic in April, when more than 100 fatalities were logged on several dates.

Read more here

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As face coverings become compulsory in shops in England for the first time, in Austria they're being made mandatory a second time. They were first brought in early in April but the rules were scrapped in mid-June as Austrian cases fell. Now the numbers are on the rise again, as in many European countries, so they're required in supermarkets, banks, post offices, bakeries and petrol station shops. In other news:

• A group of experts is urging the Dutch government to bring in new measures within days to prevent a second wave. The ex-head of the health care inspectorate told Dutch TV that masks should be required in catering and at the hairdresser's
• France has seen a 26% rise in cases in the past week. More than 1,000 infections were reported on Thursday. The most vulnerable areas are French Guiana, Mayotte (in the Indian Ocean) and Mayenne in north-west France
• The Czech Republic has more than 5,000 currently infected with Covid-19, the highest number since the start of the pandemic. So face coverings will be mandatory from midnight at indoor events with more than 100 people
• A survey says 79% of Germans have now got used to wearing masks and social distancing - but 19% still find it difficult to comply with the measures

The UK government is to announce measures to tackle high levels of obesity in the UK "soon", health and social care minister Helen Whately says.

She told BBC Breakfast that obesity was one of the "greatest health challenges we face as a country" and it brings "a whole host health challenges, particularly with Covid".

She said people who were overweight were at greater risk of complications if they contracted coronavirus and greater risk of dying with it.

"As it is such an important health challenge we have to take it on and the prime minister is committed to making sure we tackle obesity."

Last month, Boris Johnson said he hoped that the UK would be more resistant to future outbreaks of Covid-19 if people were fitter.

It's understood proposals will include introducing a ban on junk food advertising online and during prime-time TV shows.

Australian athlete Chloe Esposito was planning on competing at this summer's Olympic Games, until she found out she was pregnant.

But with the Games delayed, she's now realised she's back in with a chance. Here's the opportunity the delay has created for some athletes:

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A 14-year-old girl in a Covid-19 quarantine centre in India's capital Delhi was allegedly sexually assaulted by another patient within the facility.

The accused, 19, and another man who allegedly filmed the incident have been arrested, police said.

All three had tested positive with mild symptoms and were in quarantine in India's largest Covid-19 centre - a facility with 10,000 beds.

News of the alleged assault, which took place on 15 July, has just come out.

India has confirmed more than 1.2 million cases so far, making it the country with the third highest number of infections.

• You can read more on this story here

Image source, AFP

Disney has announced that it has been forced to indefinitely postpone the release of its film Mulan due to the pandemic.

The live-action version of popular film Mulan has had its release pushed back twice already and has now been removed from release schedules completely.

A Walt Disney Studios spokesperson said: “Over the last few months it’s become clear that nothing can be set in stone when it comes to how we release films during this global health crisis, and today that means pausing our release plans for 'Mulan' as we assess how we can most effectively bring this film to audiences around the world."

The release of the new Avatar film has been delayed by a year and the latest Star Wars film has been held back until the end of 2023.

The AMC and Cineworld cinema chains have said they are pushing back US reopening dates until at least mid-August.

Read more here

In England, it is now mandatory to wear a face covering in enclosed public places but for some people, the new rule poses a challenge.

Kevin Walker is one of 70,000 people in the UK who use sign language and lip reading to communicate. With people covering their mouths, it makes communicating more challenging. Watch our report:

James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent, BBC News

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Most people in England, about 30 million, are to be offered the flu vaccine this year, the government says.

It is to prepare for a winter that could see the annual flu season coincide with a surge in coronavirus.

The traditional flu programme will include all over-50s for the first time, as well anyone on the shielding list and the people they live with.

Also for the first time, children in their first year of secondary school will all be offered the vaccine.

Plans for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not yet been announced.

Image source, Reuters

As we mentioned earlier, President Trump has announced that the August Republican National Convention has been cancelled.

It had already been moved from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida, because of covid restrictions.

Trump blamed the “virus flare-up” for the cancellation.

Democratic Party officials have taunted the president over the announcement.

They have planned an almost entirely virtual convention in Wisconsin in August where Joe Biden will formally accept the party nomination.

A Democratic strategist involved in their conference planning said: "I wonder who will have the better convention - the party who recognised the limitations early on and have been planning for a mostly virtual/digital television production to capitalise on a prime-time audience of millions, or the clowns who keep moving theirs from place to place and have no concrete plan a month out."

Read more here

Image source, Reuters

Bolivia has postponed its general election over fears the planned date could coincide with a possible peak in infections.

Officials said the election has now been scheduled for 18 October.

It is the second time the vote has been postponed due to the pandemic. It was originally scheduled for May but was pushed back to September due to lockdown measures.

Medical experts have warned that infections in the country could peak at the end of August or beginning of September.

“The definitive date for the election gives better conditions for health protection, outside voting facilities and the arrival of international observer missions,” said Salvador Romero, head of Bolivia’s electoral court.

Bolivia’s interim president, Jeanine Anez, tested positive for the virus two weeks ago.

The country has recorded 2,407 deaths and more than 65,000 infections.

Many of Friday's newspaper front pages in the UK focus on what the Daily Mail calls "Mask-up Friday".

Sainsbury's, Asda and Costa Coffee will not enforce, external the new face covering rules in England, according to the Daily Telegraph, while Tesco will sell masks at their front doors.

The i suggests there has been a reluctance in the UK so far, external to wear them - only two-thirds of the people they surveyed comply with the public transport requirements.

GPs raise concerns in the Times about plans to extend flu jabs this winter to 30 million people in England, external as part of plans to prepare for a winter that could see the annual flu season coincide with a surge in coronavirus.

They question how they will administer so many doses, and fear that their surgeries could become hotbeds of infections.

Vets could be used, external to give the jabs, according to the Sun. The Daily Telegraph says that the government has been stockpiling tonnes of vaccines for months, external.

Read our full paper review here.

Image source, Reuters

This Friday was supposed the opening day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. They're now planned as Tokyo 2021 but it's not at all clear whether they'll be able to go ahead then.

And even if the Games happen, some athletes will be too old, too exhausted or too financially stretched to wait for another year.

The BBC's Japan correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes spoke to athletes, organisers and pundits about the fading hopes for the sports spectacle to go ahead.

• Click here to read Rupert's full story

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All major international tennis tournaments in China this year, including the Shanghai Masters and WTA Finals, have now been cancelled, said the organisers of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

"We are extremely disappointed that our world-class events in China will not take place this year," said Steve Simon, head of the WTA, in an AFP news agency report.

"We do however respect the decision that has been made."

Among the WTA events cancelled is the Wuhan Open, scheduled for October.

The ATP said it would be cancelling the prestigious Shanghai Masters and China Open in Beijing.

Image source, EPA

Australia is heading towards its lowest population growth in a hundred years this year.

The rate will plunge from an average 2% growth to 0.6% due to border closures and immigration disruptions. For decades, migrants have driven Australia's population increase and related economic growth.

The nation is still reeling after yesterday's Treasury data showed the economy to be in its worst shape since WW2. Government debt A$488bn ($197m; £270bn) has ballooned to a quarter of national GDP.

All efforts at the moment are on containing the virus' spread in mainly Melbourne and Sydney.

Two thousand more soldiers will be sent to Melbourne to speed up contact tracing. Victoria state reported 300 new cases on Friday, a slight dip in the rate of local transmissions.